3801 LIMITED MEMORANDUM
TO: All Staff and Volunteers
FROM: Arthur Tubby
DATE: 18 11 2006
SUBJECT: Future of 3801
ALL CONCERNED
On Friday 17th November the Board and General Manager of
3801 Limited met with Mr Vince O’Rourke and representatives of the Committee
appointed by the Minister of Transport to determine the future of locomotive
3801 and make recommendations to the Minister re the future of Rail Heritage in
NSW. Mr O’Rourke made it clear that he was charged to try and find ways how the
Rail Transport Museum
and 3801 Limited could work closer together.
Early in the meeting Mr O’Rourke made it quite clear that
locomotive 3801 would be returned to the custody of RTM after the 26th November
and this decision was not open to further discussion or negotiation. Shortly
after the 26th the locomotive was to be transferred to Hunter Valley Training
Company for assessment of its condition. After the assessment it is to return
to Thirlmere and will be maintained and operated out of Thirlmere. Mr O’Rourke
expressed the opinion that he believed an arrangement where the locomotive was
“shared” by both groups could be reached if there was good will on
both sides.
Mr O’Rourke then went on to outline the Committee’s
recommendation to the Minister re the future of Rail Heritage Operations. The
Committee is to recommend the formation of a new organisation to administer all
aspects of Rail Heritage. This organisation would have a representative from
the RTM and 3801 Limited on the Board but would also have professionals from marketing,
tourism, RailCorp etc. with the objective of raising the profile of Rail
Heritage to a much higher level.
3801 Limited was invited to be involved in the planning and
development of this new organisation. In the interim it was expected that both
organisations would continue their current operations in a collaborative
manner, hence the suggested “sharing” of the locomotive. If 3801
Limited chose not to participate in the development of the new organisation it
was free to continue to “do its own thing” but would be outside the
changes and plans proposed for the future of Rail Heritage.
Responding to a question Mr O’Rourke indicated that he saw
that eventually both the RTM and 3801 Limited would be absorbed by the proposed
new organisation. He also indicated that the same message had been given to the
RTM.
Your Board indicated that it would consider the proposal put
at the meeting and would respond to the Committee next week. The Board is
currently seeking outside advice as to the Company’s position and an
appropriate response.
Arthur Tubby
General
Manager